Lacer.



E. YOUNG.

LACER.

APPLICATION FI LED JULY I0. I915- m 3 01 Q, Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

rs a ena? ERNEST YOUNG, OF LYNN, IvIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY ASSIGNMENTS, TO

UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COBEORATION, O1" PATERSON, NEvV JERSEY, A CORPO- LACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. an, acre.

Application filed July 10, 1915. Serial'No. 39,126.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ennns'r YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massa chusetts, have invented certain Improve: ments in Lacers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates'to devices for temporarily securing together the eyeleted edges of shoe uppers while they are be ng lasted.

One type of lacing device which is frequently used is illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States No..915,755, of March 23, 1909, Ellis. This type of lacer is known commercially as the Pierce lacer. My 1nvention relates to this type of lacer and embodies inner and outer arms united at one end, and adapted to extend transversely of the shoe upper and through eyelets or other lacing passages at opposite sides of the upper to inclose the adjacent edges of the upper between the arms and to lirnlt their separation. I have constructed the lacer so that the arms will not release the edges of the upper even when used upon heavy shoes and subjected to an unusual strain. My construction is also arranged to hold down the edges of the upper, a desideratum in Blucher work, particularly, and the arrangement of I the parts is such that the lacer may be removed without substantially flexingthe up per, even when the last has been inserted and the upper is under tension. Furthermore, the construction is such that the lnsertion of the lacer may be quickly and easily accomplished.

In order to be practically useful, a fastening device must be strong enough to withstand the tension placed upon the upper during the lasting process; it must not interfere with the stretching ofthe upper over 7 the top of the last; and it must be readily insertible and detachable without being easily dislodged by the handling of the upper during the lastingv or by the' strain placed upon the upper during the lasting.

Accordingly, one feature of the invention resides in the 'novel construction providing means for interlocking the free ends of the lacer to prevent loosening of the lacer during the lasting operation. Another feature of the invention resides in a construction by which a substantial finger hold is provided to facilitate application and removal of the lacer. A further feature resides in certain characteristics of structure by reason of which the lacer may be removed with comparative case without flexing the upper and while the upper is under tension on the last.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of lacer embodying my invention;

Fig.2 illustrates a number of these laeers applied to the upper of a shoe before the lasting operation;

Fig. 8 shows in perspective the lacer applied to the opposite eyelets of a shoe upper with the inner and outer arms interlocked.

The lacer is preferably made of wire, and the construction is such that it may be readily formed with a single length of wire. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 it comprises an inner arm 6 formed of doubled wire and curved to conform substantially to the trans verse contour of the upper front portion of a last. At one end one of the wire strands of the inner arm is bent upwardly, as at S, and then laterally, as at 10, to provide a resilient bend or connection offset from the longitudinal plane of the inner arm 6. The strand of wire extends from the lateral offset 10 outwardly and at an angle to the inner arm 6 to form an outer spring arm 12.

Adjacent its opposite end the arm 6 is laterally offset at it in the longitudinal plane of the main body 6, thence continues in the longitudinal plane of the main body to form an offset terminal 16, areferably extending downwardly at a slight angle to the main body 6. The inclination of the outer spring arm 12 tends to bring its end closely adj accnt the offset end of the inner arm. The outer arm, is formed so that its end normally extends over and beyond the offset end of the inner arm. This end of the outer arm is preferably bent slightly downwardly, as at 18, and provided with a terminal loop 20. The outer arm may be sprung backwardly and under the offset end 16 of the inner arm, in which position it will engage the offset under tension and be interlocked with the offset. The bend in the wire strand formed by the part 8 and the lateral offset 10 provides a resilient connection between the ends of the inner and outer arms and also provides a finger hold for the operator. A

larger gripping surface may be afforded by bending the end of the other wire strand of arm (5 upwardly and ou'tw :dly to provide a laterally offset member 22, which will obviously increase the surface area which may be gripped by the finger. This oifset'gripping portion is located at the rear end of the lacer so that the lacer may be gr: sped be tween the thumb and forefinger and readily applied to the upper.

The lateral offsetting of the connected end of the outer arm permits the outer arm to extend at an angle to the inner arm and at. an angle to its offset end so that the outer arm may extend beneath this offset end for interlocking engagement. This lateral offset also enables the'outer arm to'eXtend in a substantially horizontal plane and substantially parallel with the shoe bottom so that the arm will bear against the marginal portions of the eyeleted upper when the end of the outer spring arm is interlocked with the offset end of the inner arm. The angle of inclination of the outer arm relatively to the inner arm enables the offset end of the inner arm to ex tend in the longitudinal plane of the arm so that it may be readily inserted through and withdrawn from the eyelet holes by a substantially straight line movement.

The laceris applied to the upper by grasping the offset parts 10-22 between the thumb and forefinger and inserting the end 16 of the innerarm through an eyelet at one side of the upper, the outer arm yielding outwardly and the inner arm being moved transversely of the'upper until its offset end extends through the eyelet at the opposite edge of the upper, a portion of the laterai olfset 14 and all of the terminal 16 extending through the eyelet to the outer face of the upper. The spring arm 12'is then forced back over the terminal 16 and allowed. to spring under and against the offset end of the inner arm, thereby interlocking the inner and outer arms of the lacer. In the drawings, 2 designates the side of the upper through which the inner arm is first inserted and 4: designates the opposite side of the upper through which the offset end of the arm extends. When the shoe is being lasted,the upper will be subjected to consid erable strain but since the ends of the inner and outer arms are interlocked, normal Working strain is not sufficient to disconnect the arms and release the eyeleted edges of the upper. The offsets at the ends of the in nor arm engage the edges of the eyeletsand hold the eyeleted edges together and against separation under normal lasting strain.

'Should the upper be subjected to unusually heavy strain during lasting, the lacer will yield suiiiciently to prevent tearing or otherwise injurlously straining the parts of the upper.

After the shoe has been lasted, 1t Wlll be obvious that the upper is held on the last under tension and may not be substantially flexed Without first removing the last.

The lacer of this invention may be released and removed while the shoe is on the last and is under tension Without substantial flexing of the upper. It is simply necessary to spring the outer arm from beneath the end of the inner arm and then to move the eyeleted edge of the upper away from the last a comparativelyshort distance to clear the lateral offset 1% of the inner'arm' so that thelacer may be withdrawn by a straight line movement transversely of the upper.

The tension under which the upper is held onthe last is not such as wilt prevent such a slight outwardly:turnlng movement of the eyeleted edge and'the laccr may be drawn across the upper with con'iparative ease.

"from said connected end, the opposite end extending in the same general direction as said body portion but being olfset there from, said offset end being arranged for successive insertion through eyelets at opposite sides of a shoe uppe and to project through the last of said eyelets for interlocking engagnnnent with the other of said arms.

2. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising inner' and outer arms resiliently connected at one end, the inner arm being adapted for insertion through an eyelet at one sideof a shoe upper to eXtend'tra-nsverseiyof the under face ofthe upper, the end of the inner arm being bent to project out through an eyelet at the'opposite side of the upperand then continuing on in the same general dlrection as said inner arm,

and theouter arm extending transversely of the outer face of the upper and having its end formed for interlocking engagement under spring tension withthe continuation of the inner arm.

8. A detachablefastener for shoe uppers comprising opposed arms resiliently connected at one end and relatively ofiset at their other ends detachably to interlock, one of said arms having a mainbody portion curved to correspond substantially to the "transverse contour of the front face of a last and extendmgfrom said connectedend, the opposite end extending in the same general direction as said body portion, but being offset from said body portion, saidofiset e d being arranged for successive insertion through eyelets at opposite sides of-a shoe upper and to project through the last of said eyelets for interlocking engagement with the other of said arms to inclose the edges of the upper adjacent to said eyelets between said interlocked arms.

at. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising inner and outer arms resiliently connected atone end, the inner arm being adapted for insertion through an eyelet at one side of the shoe upper to extend transversely of the under face of the upper, said inner arm being curved to conform substantially to the transverse contour of the upper front portion of a last and having its end offset to project through an eyelet at the opposite side of the upper, and the outer arm extending transversely of the outer face of the upper and in a direction to engage said projecting offset to interlock the arms with the eyeleted edges of the upper inclosed between the arms.

5. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising spaced inner and outer arms integrally and resiliently connected at one end, the inner arm being curved to conform substantially to the transverse contour of the upper front portion of a last and having ts free end laterally offset substantially in its longitudinal plane, said inner arm being ar ranged for insertion through an eyelet at one side of the upper to extend transversely of the under face of the upper with its 01%- set end projecting through and beyond an eyelet at the opposite side of the upper, the outer arm being ofiset laterally from the inner arm at its connected end to extend transversely of the outer face of the upper at an angle to the inner arm and having its end formed for interlocking engagement with the projecting offset of the inner arm.

6. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers including an arm adapted to extend transversely of the upper and being formed at one end to enter eyelets at opposite sides of the upper, said arm having at the other end a portion laterally offset to provide a finger hold to facilitate the application of the fastener to the upper. I

7. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising inner and outer arms connected at one end and arranged. for 1nsert1on through eyelets at opposite sides of the eyeleted edges of the upper to inclose the upper between said arms, said arms at their connected end being laterally offset to provide a finger hold. 7

8. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising inner and outer arms having aresilient connection at one end including a portion laterally offsetting the outer arm from the inner arm and forming with the inner arm a finger hold, the inner arm having a lateral offset lying substantially in its longitudinal plane, the outer arm extendlng at an angle to the longitudinal plane of'the inner arm and being arranged to engage the offset end of the inner arm.

.9. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising inner and outer arms connected at one end to extend in laterally offset planes, said arms being adapted to extend transversely of the shoe upper and through eyelets at opposite edges of the upper to inclose the eyeleted edges between said arms, one of said arms having an offset portion projecting in the direction of the other arm, said other arm forming a spring arm adapted to be moved to engage said ofiset under tension to interlock with said offset.

10. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising inner and outer arms connected at one end to extend in laterally ofiset planes, said arms being adapted to extend transversely of the shoe upper and through eyelets at opposite edges of the upper to inclose the eyeleted edges between said arms, one of said arms having an offset portion projecting in the direction of the other arm, said other arm extending at an angle to said first arm and its offset and forming a spring arm adapted to be moved to engage said olfset under tension to interlock with said off set.

11. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising inner and outer arms resiliently connected at one end, the inner arm having a body portion curved to correspond substantially to the transverse contour of the upper front portion of a last and having its unconnected end olfset and extending in the same general direction as said body portion and arranged to be inserted successively through eyelets at opposite sides of the upper and to project out beyond the last eyelet, the outer of said arms having its unconnected end extending at an angle to the offset end of the inner arm for insertion beneath said end under spring tension.

12. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers 'comprising inner and outer arms connected at one end and arranged to extend transversely of the upper and through eyelets at opposite sides of the upper to inclose the eyeleted edges between the arms, the inner of said arms having an offset at its free end projecting through and beyond an eyelet, and the outer of said arms being a spring arm extending at an angle to the inner arm and its ofiset and arranged to be moved to engage the projecting oflset under tension to interlock with the ofiset and to press against the adjacent marginal portions of the eyeleted edges of the upper.

13. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising a member bent to form adjacent portions arranged at the bent extremity to enter the eyelets ,of an upper, the portions being provided at the opposite independent ends with lateral offsets to furnish finger holds.

14:. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising a member bent to form ad acent portions ar'angedat the bent extrennty to enterthe eyelets of an upper, the =.porti0ns being-provided at the opposite independent ends with lateral offsets to furnish-finger holds, one of said offsets having an arm extending therefrom into proximity with the i name to this "specification.

bent extremity.

15. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising opposed arms resiliently conouter arm.

:nected at one endran duformed at their other ends detaehably to lnterlock, said fastener being. formed of a single strand of. resilient metal doubled upon, itselfto forrnthe inner 15 arm, offset at the return findTtUPIOVldB 1a finger hold and thence extended toqform the In testimony whereof I havejsigned my ERNEST YOUNG.

Copies of thiss patent-may beobtained for fiveeentsleach, by..addressing the Commissioner ofrPatents.

Washington, D. C. r 

